Live For Me
by Greek Wise Girl
Summary: Alt. ending to HoO. Annabeth met her death by closing the Doors of Death. After winning the war against the giants, Percy and the rest were given tokens of gratitude. When the gods couldn't give him what he primarily wanted, he ended up wishing for a second chance for Annabeth even if it meant pain and darkness for him.


**Live For Me**

by Greek Wise Girl

...

The scene played out in front of him blurry as a dream as the pain all over his body went on and on. As every strike on his flesh pierced deeper and deeper, he couldn't help but think how it was worth it. How _everything_ he'd been through was worth it.

_She's at home._

Strike!

_She's safe. _

Strike!

_She's alive. _

Strike!

_And that's all that matters._

* * *

The sea looked calm and placid. Nothing disturbed it's surface to indicate any interesting activity going on or beneath it. Nothing. And yet Annabeth couldn't help but stare at it for hours long while fiddling the strange pendant on her necklace.

She was home. Right here. Not just anywhere around camp, but right _here _by the sea. And she wondered why. For as long as she could remember, the water hadn't interested her as much as it engrossed her the past few days. Simply staring at it gave a tug at her heart and she could feel a surge of emotion flow through her entire body.

"Annabeth!" someone had called. She turned around to see Piper hurrying towards her, panting. "We've been looking for you everywhere. I should have known this is where we'd find you."

"I'm sorry, it's just…" and words left her.

She hadn't been looking directly at Piper, but she swore that the daughter of Aphrodite knew what she couldn't exactly turn into words. Her feelings. "I know," her friend whispered.

"Today's the 18th," Annabeth mentioned out of nowhere. "Somehow today feels so much different than the other days."

Piper stayed quiet behind Annabeth. If only she could tell her everything. But she couldn't. They would hurt so much more if Annabeth remembered. Everything would have been in vain if she remembered.

"How come?" She asked as innocently as she could. "It's just like any other day to me."

But Annabeth was already shaking her head. "No, it's not. Something should be happening, I think. It's not supposed to be like this."

And Piper had no answer for that.

"It's weird, Piper," Annabeth continued in a soft voice. "I stare out into the sea and I feel like I'm missing something here. Like… Like I'm cheated of something important to me. I don't know what it is but looking into the water seemed to partially fill the void but at the same time it's not enough. It could never be enough."

The tears started to flow from her eyes and still all Piper could do was look at the daughter of Athena and curse the Fates for everything. They didn't deserve this. Not them. Anyone, but them.

Piper's fist started to clench tightly and shake while trying so hard not to cry for what she was seeing. Her inner voice started debating whether she should just tell her or carry on with the lie. But she couldn't tell her. _No one must. _

"I miss him," Annabeth said and Piper stopped short. _What did she say? _

"What?" she asked. She knew she heard correctly, but how? How could she miss him when she couldn't remember him… when she wasn't supposed to remember him. "What did you say?"

Annabeth turned around with a soft smile on her face and she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Nothing. I didn't say anything. Come on, you've waited long enough."

And she tugged Piper by the arm and towards the center of camp with one last look behind her and into the sea.

* * *

He was escorted back into his quarters, but before they even reached the door his guard had already turned about to exit and leave them be. There was no point for a guard anyway. They all knew no one was going to run away. _Especially not him_. Not with so much at stake.

The darkness welcomed him and if it wasn't for his adjusted sight, he would have sat down right there by the door. Percy moved to his corner and leaned his aching back on the cold metal walls. It wasn't enough, but the coldness partially numbed his wounds. Now he could think clearer.

"So how was it this time?" The familiar voice asked from somewhere in the dark.

Percy let out a smile although his companion couldn't really see it. "I've had worse," he answered and winced when a slight adjustment of his position made a million stinging pain shoot out form his back.

"Yeah, you always say that, but you never really told me what 'worse' was."

"Trust me, you wouldn't want that kind of pain."

And then silence for the rest of the time…

* * *

"_Anything. _I'd do anything just please… _Please…_"

"There is nothing else that can be done. Not even the Fates could change the course of things once it met its end. The dead cannot be brought back." Zeus said with finality.

"_She's not dead!"_ Percy shouted while clenching his fists tighter. "She's not dead. You know that. She's not dead."

"No. She's suffered far worse than death," Athena said, but behind the goddess's voice was deep sadness. "She suffered a fate that wasn't supposed to be hers."

Percy turned his tear stained eyes to the figure standing at the end of the room. "You're the god of the Underworld. Get her away from there. Please. She wasn't supposed to be there. She's not supposed to die…" But the god only looked down on him and Percy didn't have to ask further. He knew the answer anyway even when he asked.

_Why did she have to do it? Why didn't he notice her leaving? Why did it have to be her?_

"It wasn't supposed to be her…" He cried. "It could have been me. It _should _have been me instead of her!"

The word echoed around the room momentarily and it was only followed by Percy's continuous cries, but even that stopped short after a few moments.

"You said you'd give us anything for winning this war," he started.

"No one can bring her back, son…" Poseidon interjected before Percy could say more. But his son shook his head.

"You keep saying that, so fine. I won't ask for it anymore. Kill me."

And no one answered loudly, however confusion seemed to run around the room.

"Just kill me. Please. I just want to be with her and if you can't bring her back here then take me there. Please. Just kill me now."

His voice had sounded defeated. As if there was nothing more he could think of to remedy the situation. Percy felt hopeless now. There was nothing left.

The son of the sea god looked at the god of war seated on his throne and said, "Ares, I defeated you in battle. Surely you want to have a go at me now. Go ahead. I won't even fight. I'd just stand here and wait for it. Torture me if you want as long as I die in the end."

And then he turned to the goddess across the room. "Athena, you hate me for being with Annabeth. She's not here now to stop you so go ahead. I'm the reason she's gone in the first place. Because of me she's in Tartarus. Because of me she's trapped there for the rest of forever all alone and in pain. I'm the reason she's dead so go ahead and avenge her and kill me. I'm not going to fight back. Just… _Please_. I just want to be with her. I don't want her to be alone there. I want to be with her."

The room was filled with more pleas from him, but none replied. Not even Ares or Athena. Everyone simply stared at the lone demigod in the center of the room. He looked a hundred different ways of tired, angry, desperate, defeated, and hopeless.

"Please. That's all I'm asking now. Just let me be with her," Percy whispered to no one in particular.

"There is a way to save her." Someone uttered after a while and all heads turned to the goddess who spoke. "There is a way to save my daughter, but it is deep sorcery and old. Are you willing to sacrifice anything for her?"

"Athena, what you speak of is forbidden and dangerous." Poseidon commented. "My son won't endure it."

The goddess looked at the teen as if calculating his abilities. "If he truly loves her then he'd do it."

"You're saying this because she's your daughter and it would get rid of him!"

"I am saying this because I want my daughter back as much as he does, and because he asked." Athena said back.

"It is forbidden Athena," Zeus said. "You will not speak about it any further. No one is to speak about it anymore."

"But it _will _bring her back," Percy asked quietly.

"Perseus…" Poseidon began.

"I'll do it. I don't care what happens to me. If it will bring Annabeth back I'll do it." He said with finality.

Athena looked at her father before back at the demigod and nodded. "It will have consequences, Percy Jackson. This type of magic, bringing someone back from another realm most of all, is not something to be trifled with. Are you ready for what you'd have to suffer through… for what _both _of you would have to suffer through?"

"It will bring her back…" Percy replied. "_Alive and safe_."

"Yes,"

And that was all he needed to hear.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's been a while since I posted something. This came out of nowhere though and I have ideas for a chapter 2. I'll just have to find the right words and enough time for it. Anyway, thank you for reading this and I'd appreciate reviews and favorites.

love,

Greek Wise Girl


End file.
